And the Mad Queen Said?
by AxVoicexWithin
Summary: It was unorthodox; what drove him to fall for her? She was… different but, that didn't matter to him. ErnestxMarie. Not an Oc. WARNING! Character deaths! R&R. Please be kind. Rated T for some mild language.
1. Prologue

And the Mad Queen Said?

**A/N:** Yay! My very first story here! Hope you guys like it!

**Disclaimer:** I do not own any characters in this story. Pandora Hearts is the property of Jun Mochizuki. *Bows before Jun*

_Prologue_

It was unorthodox; what drove him to fall for her? She was… different but, that didn't matter to him. Her beautiful brown eyes like orbs of umber that saw into his soul and made him feel weak. Their sadness that made them indifferent left him puzzled sometimes but he didn't care. There was something about her that drew him in and he couldn't get enough.

As for her, she saw nothing more than a flirtatious goof at first. His blood made her scoff; his wealth was disgusting but, she didn't see him for his power. He was strange to her, as if he was from another world. Well, in a sense they were. She, the abandoned orphan, picked up by a guardian and him, a pampered heir to a heroic yet traitorous Dukedom.

Marie and Ernest… what a strange pair they made…


	2. Chapter 1

**A/N:** Speedy updates! Hooray! :D

**Disclaimer:** Characters and Pandora Hearts = NOT MINE!

Chapter 1:

She was young when it happened. Her village was burned to the ground and the villagers, forced to travel through endless woods for a new home. She was alone one day, told to fetch some fresh water from the nearby stream which they were following.

With her water buckets full, she made her way back to the sight where they had taken refuge for the time; something was strange but she didn't know what. It wasn't until she realized her people were no longer there that she began to freak. Her village had abandoned her and gone ahead without her. Their reasons of it were unknown but one thing was certain, she was alone.

Her crying was unheard to the point where she seemed muted. It drove her slightly insane to a point; she was trapped in a still wood with her tears to keep her company. She tried countless times to find the ones who'd forsaken her but it was no use.

Her once happy and cheerful eyes were tainted to sadness and emptiness. She cried her eyes dry and drifted off into the darkness of sleep.

A sudden rustle in the bushes nearby startled her as she sprang to her feet, "Who's there?" her tone was terrified. A old man appeared with a cane in his hand to keep himself steady. He looked at the child with confusion:

"My my, what's a young girl like yourself doing out in the woods in the dead of night?" he asked happily.

"T-that's none of your concern. And I should be asking you the same thing," she remarked nervously. He chuckled at her behavior:

"My apologies, allow me to introduce myself: my name is Riitasu. I live in a mansion not far from here. And what should I call you?" he replied. She didn't understand exactly what was going on but at least he wasn't making himself off to be a creeper. She trusted him partly due to her lack of food and shelter.

"I'm Marie. I got lost out here when my people sent me off to get water and I haven't been able to find them since," she said with hate in her eyes. She wasn't even sure if she wanted to find them anymore; they might have just ended up abandoning her again. Riitasu looked up at the dusty sky which shrouded the area.

"Well Marie, would you like to go back to them? I'll help you find them if you want," he smiled.

"No thanks. It seems they didn't want me around anyway…" she became quiet and the tears began to form once more but this time worse. Riitasu pulled from his pocket a small tissue and handed it to her. She kindly accepted it and used it gratefully. The man chuckled and made a few silly faces which caused the young girl to laugh. He showed her his hospitality by taking her in as his own and choosing to raise her in those very woods.

Two years had passed since Marie was abandoned and she was fully devoted to serving Riitasu as her thank you to him for all he had done. One thing was for sure, there was something strange going on inside their lonely mansion.

A special stone was protected there and it had been passed down to Riitasu by his mother. Marie didn't know much about it except for the fact that it contained a fragment of the hero from 100 years ago, Jack Vessalius', soul. She was told that no matter what, she was to protect it from anyone who would dare take it. As a result, she was trained to act as an assassin by such a young age.

The duo were unusual and quiet which helped give off an unwelcome sense to the mansion. It was better that way; nobody would try to take the stone if they acted so indifferent yet creepy.

Even if the atmosphere was uncomfortable, Marie loved it. To her, it was home…

**A/N:** Omg! I've been dying to get this story out there! Hope you all liked chapter 1! Next chapter will be out soon!

R&R. Again, please be kind. *Runs away*


	3. Chapter 2

**A/N:** Chapter 2 WOOOOT! Time for some Ernest fun!

**Disclaimer:** Characters and Pandora Hearts belong to the all mighty Jun Mochizuki! *Dramatic pose*

Chapter 2:

The Nightray Dukedom. Its name was surrounded by darkness, pushed into the shadows by vicious rumors of traitorous deeds. They were hated for it; "poisoning the Duchess of Vessalius." How absurd! Even so, no one trusted them and they had to watch themselves carefully.

With all the anguish that hid them, they still somehow remained quite happy. The scene at their manor wasn't as depressing as it was stereotyped to be. The reason, a bunch of rambunctious Nightray brats roaming around the halls. They definitely made the atmosphere less depressing for the other residents.

Among those four, now five as of 2 years before, was him. His name was Ernest Nightray, third son of Duke and Duchess Nightray and the middle sibling. He was carefree and always happy. Of all his brothers and sister, he was the most mischievous. However, he had a dark side which loathed the rats of Vessalius who soiled his family name and forced them into the darkness while the other moved closer towards the light.

Sure, Jack Vessalius may have been the hero 100 years ago, but the other 3 Dukedoms contributed to his success. It just wasn't fair…

To be honest, at such a young age, Ernest had no idea why his name was hated or why his family wasn't trusted. It wasn't until his father told him to aim his anger and hatred towards those of Vessalius blood. He, like his other siblings, did just that. They hated them with all their heart. If the name made a sudden appearance in a conversation, the children's expressions would immediately change for the negative.

Ernest seemed to hate the name the most though. He was always acting out when he heard about them or talking of how he would dump horse manuer on their Duke during a meeting, or something mean. He hated them and wasn't afraid to show it.

Aside from that, he was happy with his life and enjoyed playing with his siblings. Especially his youngest brother, Elliot. Elliot was only two, but he and Ernest were best friends. They even looked similar with their sandy-blonde hair and pale blue eyes. The more they grew up, the more they resembled each other. By the age of 4, Elliot was dubbed the mini Ernest, which made Ernest laugh at the thought.

He was happy that Elliot was so similar to him. After all, Ernest was definitely the best looking brother of his siblings and he knew it. It probably added to his carefree ego.

As a result, he was a total flirt by the age of 13, which made his family think he had no sense of shame. He didn't care, so long as there was a cute girl in the room, he _had_ to meet her. Even with that kind of mindset, he never actually got along with any of the noble girls he met. Perhaps they were too… fragile? Whatever it was, he didn't like them much even if they were head-over-heels for him.

It almost seemed as if he was searching for some one different.

He had no idea that he would find who he was looking for by accident…

**A/N:** I'M ON A ROLL! XP Chapter 2 is here! Hope you're liking it so far. It's mostly just filler but the real story/plot begins next chapter!

R&R.


	4. Chapter 3

**A/N:** So here's chapter 3! This is where the real story begins! Thanks to all who have been reading this so far.

**Disclaimer:** I do not own any characters/Pandora Hearts blah blah blah all that fun stuff.

Chapter 3:

The day wasn't very special, just another grey and dull day in the woods. For Marie, it was peaceful; the quiet sound of birds chirping was nothing more than pure bliss for her. She was out and about early before her master woke. She made a tradition to have him wake every morning to a beautiful bouquet of flowers from the nearby bushes.

She had nearly finished picking her flowers when she heard rustling behind her. She turned to see a certain sandy-blonde falling from a tree and landing in a bush. Concerned for him, Marie rushed to his aid. She looked him over with curious eyes and confusion. How did some one she'd never seen before end up before her? And how did he climb that tree without her noticing.

His eyes opened and met hers. And at that moment, he knew he'd found the one he was searching for.

At first, he was confused, possibly from the harsh fall he'd just taken, but the look in her eyes said it all; she was beautiful.

"Hello. Where'd you come from?" he asked with a smile. Marie stood up and looked off towards the mansion; she really needed to head back. She turned and began to walk away, leaving the boy behind and thoroughly confused.

He immediately stood up and ran after her, "Hey! You didn't answer my question!"

"I had no intention of answering it. Now if you'll excuse me, I must return to my master. Good day," she tried to walk away again but was halted by a hand around her arm.

"But I need your help." he declared. "My carriage broke down a short while away and we cant seem to find anybody else around."

"A carriage? So you're a noble?" she stated more than asked. Ernest nodded.

"I'm Ernest Nightray, It's nice to meet you uh…"

"Marie," was her blank response. She bowed politely and shook his hand, "Listen Ernest, as much as I'd like to help you, I can't. I'm extremely busy at the moment."

"Well then, if it's too much to ask, could you take me to your master? There's gotta be some one around here who's got the spare time," he pleaded and she obliged.

She brought him to the mansion and introduced the boy to Riitasu. The man offered some assistance by giving Ernest a large bag full of tools that could help in repairing his carriage.

Marie was told to look after Ernest while he and his driver completed repairs. Once they were finished, the driver walked down to the stream to wash away the dirt, leaving the two children alone at the carriage.

It was an awkward situation for the two; Marie didn't have the first clue on being social, and Ernest was too shy to keep a conversation going. Some rustling in the bushes nearby signaled to both of them that the driver had returned… or so they thought.

Suddenly, a huge bear appeared before the two, and by the look on its face, something had made it seriously mad. It drew closer to the two children ever so slowly, turning towards Marie for its first victim. Ernest threw rocks at it to draw it away, but froze in his spot as the bear charged at him.

Marie knew she had to do something. When she realized there was a bag of tools placed a foot from her, she reached into it and pulled out a saw-like tool with a long handle. She ended the bear quickly, leaving Ernest dumbfounded.

_~This girl… she seems so indifferent but, she saved my life…~_ he thought as he stared at the porcelain-like girl before him; he'd never seen anything or anyone like her and it left him feeling… infatuated.

When the situation quieted down, Ernest thanked her for everything before continuing down the road in his carriage. He knew he'd be seeing her again one day…


	5. Chapter 4

**A/N:** Chapter 4! *Dances with joy* Hope you're all liking it so far! Time for a bit of a time skip! :D

**Disclaimer:** Charaters and Pandora Hearts belong to master Troll, Jun Mochizuki.

Chapter 4:

Years past from that day. The day they met in the woods. Ernest returned to the area many times but could never find her mansion. Eventually, he gave up feeling torn; he was sure she was the one.

As for her, she stayed in the mansion lost in the trees. Marie had almost forgotten the boy but remembered him by the keyword' Nightray.

They grew up in their respective places; Ernest becoming handsome and Marie beautiful. They blossomed.

In fact, Duchess Nightray was becoming determined to find her son an heiress to match his looks. This became tiring for the heir; all his thoughts went back to Marie. He wanted to see her again but had no idea how to find her.

X~x~X~x~X

It was a busy scene at the market of Reveille . The warmth of the sun beat down on the ground, turning it into a flameless inferno. For a certain strawberry blonde, it was her first time in such a chaotic town. To be honest, she was confused as to why Riitasu had even sent her there; what was it again? Oh, yes… a new wheel chair for the weary man.

She wondered the streets to no end but there was no sign of a shop that would sell the portable seat. She decided after a few hours of searching to give up and turn back.

"Riitasu's gonna be so disappointed in me…" she mumbled before walking straight into some one. "I-I'm so sorry mister! I didn't see you there," she apologized.

The man turned to her but froze at the sight of the girl before him. She looked at him puzzled by his nostalgic expression.

"It's alright but… by any chance is your name Marie?" he asked with a gentle tone. She was confused but the look in his pale blue eyes reminded her of a past encounter.

"Yeah. I remember you. You're that Nightray boy. What was it again… Ernest?" He nodded and she smiled at him, "It's good to see you again."

"Yeah, you too. But uh… what are you doing in Reveille? Don't you live in the woods?" he asked, astounded by her random appearance.

She giggled slightly at his question, "I'm here on orders. And what about you? I didn't think I'd find a nobleman here." He chuckled nervously, "Well, to be honest, my family stays here during the summer but, I kinda snuck away from the house to go exploring."

"Oh I see. Well, you wouldn't happen to know where I could find a nice wheel chair, would you? Riitasu's legs aren't what they used to be and I'm kinda lost here."

He pondered the thought for a moment, "If you ask me, I'd say there're no good ones around here… but, my family does have a personal craftsman. He's very impeccable at his work. If you want to come back to the house, I can have a word with him and get you a high quality chair for no cost," he smiled warmly.

"Sure!" she nodded eagerly and he directed her:

"Right this way."

O~o~O~o~O

Even though it was just a summer home, Marie knew one thing: she'd never seen a mansion so big. _Damn rich people… _she thought to herself as Ernest led her in. he showed her to a large sitting room where he told her to wait while he searched for the craftsman. She did as she was told and waited patiently.

The door opened abruptly, startling the girl slightly. From behind it walked a young boy with sandy-blonde hair like Ernest's and the same pale blue eyes. He looked at her puzzled and bluntly asked, "Who are you?"

She stood and bowed respectfully to the young boy, "My name's Marie. I'm one of Ernest's friends. And what should I call you?"

"I'm Elliot. Elliot Nightray. But I don't think Ernest was expecting a guest. How did you get in here?"

"Ernest brought me here. I ran into him at the market and he led me here," she remarked calmly.

The boy's expression turned slightly disturbed, "Wait! So are you two on a date or something? You're pretty quiet… kinda like a doll," he teased. Marie smiled before pelting Elliot in the head and sitting back down.

Elliot rubbed his head and snapped, "WHAT THE HELL WAS THAT FOR?"

"You called me a doll. I don't like dolls," she stated boringly. Elliot was about to blow up in her face when Ernest walked back in.

"Oh! Hey Elly. What're you doing in here?" he asked.

Marie began to giggle at the nickname, "_Elly_? That's not a very tough name for some one with such a bad temper."

Elliot blushed slightly before he decided to leave the room; he'd just get double teamed by the other two if he stayed. Ernest sat down on the sofa across from her:

"I talked to the craftsman. He said he'd be happy to make the wheel chair for you."

"Thanks for doing this. I hope it's not too much trouble," she rubbed the back of her head nervously.

Ernest chuckled, "Not at all! It's a gift. Just think of it as a thank you for helping me out all those years ago. But… where did you learn to fight like that?"

She was stuck on the question for a moment; she couldn't tell him about the stone she protected in her mansion, "I had to find a way to protect myself. Those woods can be dangerous sometimes, you saw it with your own eyes."

He gave her a skeptic look and stood up, "You're lying. I can tell."

"I am not. Why would you think I am?"

"I can see it in your eyes. You have a hard time lying, don't you?" he laughed as she pouted. "So what's the real reason?"

"It's none of your concern," she became serious.

"Fine fine, I was just curious. It's not like I was gonna force you to tell me."

She nodded and he sat back down. The two sat there for a few hours just chatting away until the craftsman entered the room with a marvelous wheel chair. Marie became gleeful at the sight of it and Ernest was satisfied with the outcome.

Once the payment was settled, Marie was escorted to a carriage waiting outside. Ernest hoisted the chair onto the carriage as Marie gave the driver directions. When everything was set, Marie was about to step into the carriage but Ernest stopped her:

"Will I ever see you again?"

She looked at him confused, "Of course you will. I'll be around here. You just have to look for me."

"But still… last time we parted, I didn't see you again until today."

"That's probably because you're horrible with directions," she giggled before he pulled her in and kissed her gently. She blushed madly; how was she supposed to know he had a crush on her?

He pulled away, embarrassed of what he'd done, "I-I'm sorry Marie! I don't know what got into me!" he panicked.

She smiled and kissed his crimson cheek, "It's all right. But I won't be back for some time. Why don't we try writing to each other? It could be fun."

He nodded and she rode away in the carriage. Elliot walked out and stood beside his older brother:

"So you two are a couple!" he teased and received another smack, this time by Ernest.

**A/N:** Thank you Elliot for making your appearance in a blunt manner~ =w=

R&R. I love hearing opinions! :D


	6. Chapter 5

**A/N:** Hey everyone! So this is chapter 5, but there is some sadness here... *Cries a river*

**Disclaimer:** I DO NOT OWN CHARACTERS OR PANDORA HEARTS! ... Enjoy! :3

Chapter 5:

They wrote each other every week, reading their letters with longing looks and infatuated smiles. They were in love and there was no doubt about it. Eventually, Ernest had managed to improve his sense of direction and came to visit her often. Whenever he did, the two would be inseparable, although, Riitasu didn't mind; he quite liked Ernest and was happy that Marie had found someone to keep her company when his time was up.

Then again, sometimes life ends unexpectedly…

The Nightray family had been having a hard time dealing with a mysterious killer. They called it, the Head Hunter. The first victim was Ernest and Elliot's oldest brother Fred. Then, it was there uncle. There was even an attack on their adopted brother, Gilbert. They didn't know much, other than the fact that the suspect was someone among the family.

The frazzled aura even rubbed off on Marie as Ernest's letters became more and more depressing. Almost every one of them included the name of the Head Hunter's latest victim. Marie offered to have Ernest stay with her until the situation cleared up, but Ernest refused to abandon his family while the killer was still roaming the manor freely. Besides, he already had a good idea of who the culprit was.

A few months prior to the murders, Elliot had brought home a personal servant named Leo. Ernest never did trust Leo; there was something strange about him that he couldn't let go of. After a few months with Leo as a new resident, the beheadings began to occur. It was all the proof Ernest needed to bring him down. He told Marie of his plan to kill Leo without Elliot knowing.

Little did Marie know, that would be the last letter Ernest would write to her…

X~x~X~x~X

They were clear on the plan. Ernest had persuaded his older brother Claude to go through with it. They planned it quietly in what seemed like an abandoned hallway at the time, or at least, they thought it was.

A shadow lurked around the corner, waiting for the two men to come around. That's when it happened… Out of the shadows appeared the death that came to take him and his brother.

X~x~X~x~X

Marie was out gathering flowers one morning when a carriage pulled up in front of the mansion. She moved towards it curiously only to see Elliot and his servant Leo step out of it. She hugged the boy happily but her expression changed when she noticed his long face.

"Ernest is dead," was all he could say through gritted teeth. "Marie immediately dropped to her knees in shock.

"Ernest… died…?" she gasped. Elliot nodded and she broke out into tears.

Elliot bent down next to her and gave her a comfort hug, "I'm so sorry Marie. I know how much you loved him. And he loved you so much. He told me he was going to propose to you today."

She looked at him in despair; it was as if someone had ripped her heart out and stabbed it with a knife multiple times. She knew her goal was revenge, "Was it the Head Hunter?"

"Yeah. I swear, I'll find who did it and I'll kill them myself," Elliot swore to her.

She stood up and grabbed her saw, "Don't worry, I intend to help you." Elliot nodded; he knew better than to say no to the woman when she was holding that thing.

**A/N:** I WARNED YOU ABOUT THE SADNESS PEOPLE! Anyway, R&R. *Runs off to go cry in a corner*


	7. Chapter 6

**A/N: **Yay! FINAL CHAPTER PEOPLE! I hope you enjoy it! =w=

**Disclaimer:** I don't own the characters or Pandora Hearts... yeah, I'm not cool enough to own it. .

Chapter 6:

Two years passed from the worst day of Marie's life. The sky was always grey after that and her eyes became saddened and indifferent looking. Still, she kept searching for the one who killed her beloved.

Marie became clever in disguising her emotions, hiding her sorrow behind a façade of slight joy. She was cheerful for the sake of her master but for no other reason.

One day, the sky was beautiful; as pale as her beloved's eyes were as it stretched across the woods they resided in. The thought made her smile as it made her think that Ernest was smiling down on her from the heavens.

Or maybe it was him coming to bring her with him…

A group of strangers stumbled into the mansion that day; probably in search of the others that entered a couple days before in search of the stone. She greeted them with sad eyes which puzzled them slightly but an all out struggle began between her and the group.

However, she stopped her ambush when a strange little blonde boy in the group managed to summon forth an unbelievable power. He pinned her down and drew a red scythe from what seemed like nowhere. If not for his other group members, he would've killed her.

Riitasu appeared and told Marie that the boy was the rightful owner of the stone and allowed them custody of it. The group left the mansion to get help transporting the stone and Marie closed the door behind them.

"I'm sure you're exhausted Riitasu. I'll make you some tea," she turned to see the gruesome sight of her master's head falling to the floor and rolling. The second she'd realized what happened, she broke out into tears. She screamed as the pain of losing the two people she loved the most were gone forever sent a menacing shiver through her spine. She was scared. Scared that she was alone, and that she wasn't alone in the mansion. The man from the group that stayed with her was in shock as he looked over to a dark corner in the room. Eventually, Marie's attention shifted to the corner as well. Their expressions were that of great fear.

"You are…" the man paused, "The Head Hunter…"

The two were enveloped in the darkness as death took them under its black wings…

O~o~O~o~O

_The Queen of Hearts,_

_She made some tarts,_

_All on a hot summer's day._

_The Knave of Hearts,_

_He stole those tarts._

_And the mad queen said…_

_Off with his head,_

_Off with his head,_

_Off with his head._

_O~o~O~o~O_

Two lovers, ended by an unknown entity. Their lives cut short by the hands of a mysterious figure, who sings the tune of the Red Queen. But their afterlife was just beginning and they were meant to be together… for all eternity…

End…

**A/N:** Thanks for reading! I hope you all liked it. I feel it was somewhat rushed but hey, I wrote this awhile ago so yeah. :P And I'm thinking of writing a sequel for this but I'm not sure. Tell me what you think. R&R.


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